Crate.



No. 893,576. PATENTED JULY 14, 1008. E. E. FLORA.

CRATE.

APPLICATION I'ILED,I) EG.18,l907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

N0. 893,576. v PATENT-ED JULY 14, 1908; E. E. FLGRAfl CRATE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED DEF-0.19, 1907.

manna-83min.

. cry

unrrnp I;

ETLSWORTH E. FLORA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO W. E. BOTHERMEL,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

one. a.

. Specification of Letters Patg Patented July 14, 1908.

Application filed December 18, 1907. Serial No. 407,008.

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented. a new and useful lmprovcment in Crates, oi which the following is a specification. 5

The object of my invention is to provide a novel construction of wire-bound crate (in* cluding the articles known as a ventilated box and ventilated barrel).which shall render it strong and cheap to manufacture and adapt it to be furnished to the user in knockdown condition to be readily reduced therefrom into crate-form without the exercise of skill or the use of machinery or tools in performing the work.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a section or length of the wire-jointed slatmaterial used for the body of my improved crate; Fig. 2, a view in the nature of a diagram illustrating the manner of starting the assembling of the parts to produce the crate; Fig. 3, a similar" view, showing the assembling work in a more advanced condition; Fig. 4, a longitudinal vertical section of the crate; Fig. 5, a section on line 5 of Fig. 4, viewed in the direct-ion of the arrow; Fig. 6, a section on line 6 of Fig. 4, viewed in the direction of the arrow, and Fig. 7, a perspective view of one of the heads, or of a similarly formed partition, showing its preferred construction.

For the body-portion of my improved crate, I use a suitable length of slat-fabric 8- (Figs. 1, 2, 3) consisting of slats 9 formed preferably of strips of thin Wood or veneer, of fiberboard, or metal, or even. of any suitable refuse-material, since it is not essential that the strips shall be of uniform dimensions, except in the matters of length and width, and wires 10 connecting the strips, at suitable intervals along their lengths, in spaced relation, each binding 10 shown being double to embrace the strips, between. which it is twisted as represented. at 11. A known variety of fencing is manufactured involving the same construction as the material 8, and machinery is employed for forming or weaving it in very long lengths to be furnished to the trade rolled into gbund'les. The material 10 for my crate may be manufactured by the Samemachinahd similarly furnished-with the-end" heads 12,'and intermediate head or partition J 13, to the user to enable him to divide the material into suitable lengths and assemble;

them and the heads into crates M.

Each end-head and partition (if the latter be used, though no internal head is required. in a short crate) conforms in shape to the contour of the crate and may therefore be provided in any shape for the latter. As

shown, it is of general rectangular shape with beveled corners, and involves, as its essential construction, a body-portion having tongues 15 extending from edges, some from 'the inner and some from the outer parts of the edges. 'It is preferred to so an range the tongues that those on two opp edges shall project from the cute. po lions thereof and those on the other two opposite.

edges shall project from their inner portions,

while the head may be formed of one pieceoi any suitable material, it is preferred to form it of two similar sections of suitable wood, each having tongues 15 rejecting from its opposite edges and exten ing in the direction oi thj" grain of the Wood for the sake of strength to the tongues; and the two pieces or sections are fastened ilatwise togeth r as by gluing or nailing, being relative so placed as to cause the grain or"? one piece to cross that ofthe other at right-angles. Thus the tongues are caused to alternate oruthe inner and outer edgeortions, from one edge to the other, as desciibed, and for the purpose hereinafter explained. i

To assemble the parts to fornra crate, the

most clearly shown in Fig 7. lllloreovyer heads therefor are placed and suitably sup, orted at the re ulred dlstancesapart upon a P, pro er length oi the material 8 tor a crate:

ouy, as indicated in Fig. 2, whenthemate rial is wrapped about them in the manner indicated in Fig. 3x

as to cause them to enter between slats of the material 8 in applying the latter, those on the inner edges of the end-heads and corresponding edges of the partition will extend ()wing to the relative positions of the tongues, which are so spaced at one slde of the Wires at 11 while those on the opposite edges'will therefcxtend atthe opposite sides of the wires, thus causin the tongues to brace the wires in opposite 1rections with the result of securely holding the end-heads against displacement from inward or outward pressure against them mlitlltiifi.

ture due to the bracing referred to and they intermeshing of the slats and tongues.

The free ends of the wires are left sufiiciently long to adapt them to be twisted'to gether, asshown at 16 (Fig; 5),- for fastening in their assembled condition the parts of the crate to close it after it is 'filled. A side of the body-portion from which a wire-end 16' extends may form'the cover or lid 0f the crate to be opened and closed in uslng the latter, the other sidesjmeantime remaining place by the interrneshing engagement of the tongues and slats, and the frictional contact between the tongues and wires.

As will be understood, other binding means besides the particular wire-form thereof herein shown and described, may be used without departure from my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A crate comprising a body-portion formed of wire-connected spaced slats, and heads having tongues projecting from them to enter the spaces between slats and'said tongues being disposed on each head to extend on opposite sides of a wire connecting the slats, for the purpose set forth.

2. A crate comprising a body-portion formed of wire-connected spaced slats and end-heads and an inner head between the end-heads having tongues projecting from them to enter the spaces between slats and said tongues being disposed on each head to formed of wire-connected spaced slats, and heads each formed of two sections secured flatwise together and having tongues projecting fromeopposite edges 01 one section and from opposite edges of the other section,

named section, said tongues on each head tending on opposite sides of a wire, for the purpose setforth formed of wire-connected spaced slats, and heads each formed of two wooden sections secured fiatwise together with their grains crossing and each having tongues projecting extend on o posite sides of a wire, for the purpose set orth.

ELLsWoRTH E. FLORA.

In presence of L. HEISLAR, R. SCHAEFER.

a body portion entering the spaces between slats and 8X-' 5. A crate comprising a body-portion {LA crate comprising a body-portion but at right-angles to those in the firstin thedirection of the Wood from opposite edgesto enter the spaces between slats and 

